The Sevilles: Chapter Three-Lesson In Love
by Sketchpad
Summary: Vinny finds herself practicing what she preaches to an up-and-coming romance novelist, when she and Dave go on their first date.
1. Chapter 1

Vinny felt prideful as she watered the oak sapling with her garden pail, as well as growing anticipation of the succulent acorns that the tree would bear in the future. The plant, a gift from the family as a way to bring a piece of her old world to her, was marked with drainage stones around its periphery and was tended to with almost maternal care.

She cast a casual eye upon the African-American teenager who sat nearby on a patio chair, a paper-clipped manuscript on her lap and a welcome distraction to the family toy dog, Lily, while she munched on a cookie from a plate on the patio table next to her.

"I appreciate the notion that I could help you," Vinny said to the young woman. "But, what makes you think I can? I'm not a writer, like you, Savannah."

The Human devoured another cookie and shrugged. "I know, but if your advice is as good as these lemon cookies you brought to our campus bake sale, last week, then you probably won't steer me wrong."

"Why thank you, but surely someone has read your stories already," Vinny said, brushing the loose earth from her hands.

"Yeah, I ran it by a Lit professor or two, and I kept getting the same message. It's too cliched. I don't know what they're talking about."

Vinny walked over to the patio table and took a cookie from it. "Hmm...Don't writers usually tell others to write what they know?" she pondered aloud.

"Yeah, but my life _is_ what I know. Like, I believe in love at first sight, y'know? That's how me and Frankie, got together. I mean, it's not perfect..." Savannah had to pause, just then, out of sheer honesty, at least to herself. "_He's_ not...perfect, but it's not unrealistic."

Lily caught sight of Vinny, and the Chipmunk, being so close to the ground, inspired her to play near her. Vinny, instead, gathered her up in her arms, lightly scratching by her loose ears while cradling her.

"Maybe, but everyone might not agree with your singular take on love," The Chipmunk advised, respectfully. "The everyone being your readers, I mean. Love _is_ out there, but not everyone finds it the same way. For others, it may take some time, or a different approach."

Savannah shrugged at the wisdom. It wasn't scathing or judgmental, and it sounded fair enough. "Yeah, I guess. Well, what about you? Isn't there somebody that gets your heart racing?"

The question sparked a tall image in Vinny's mind that made her answer all too hastily.

"Yes, he does...I mean, h-he _did_!" Vinny amended with warming cheeks. "I mean, when I first met my husband, he would serenade me under my window, whether my parents appreciated the performance or not. He would give my flowers and berries, and we'd talk by the creek in the valley. I got to know him and he got to know me. And when we knew that we wanted to make our lives one, we wed."

Savannah took in Vinny's wistful look. It was an honest reaction to a true moment in her life and she couldn't help hoping that such a look would flow across her face just as easily when people asked about her relationship.

But, something cynical in her made her chuckle at the display, as well. The cause was too earnest and its effect-too out of place. Too..._corny_.

"That's nice and all, Miss Vinny," the Human scoffed, good-naturedly. "But, these days, we don't have creeks by a valley, we have social media and hearts and flower emojis for that kind of thing. What you're talking about is way too old-fashioned for people like me, these days. It's too slow, y'know?"

Unflappably, Vinny rose to meet the challenge of this generational gap. "Well, romance isn't a race, Savannah. It's an experience that, if you're lucky, you can share with another person. With time, you'll get to know if your beau is a gentleman that treats you like a lady deserves to be treated, which lets you be free to be the lady that _he_ deserves."

* * *

Standing in a dustless corner of the Sevilles' home's basement was a laboratory set-up of an old table, glassware, Bunsen burners, a storage locker, and other equipment and furniture. This was Simon's domain, as understood by the family.

The lord of his small demesne placed a cardboard box in front of his open locker, scooping small vials into it. Seated on a stool, nearby, Theodore sat, for want of company.

"I really must put expiration dates on my chemicals," he sighed, not noticing Alvin coming from upstairs and plucking a vial from the locker's shelf when his back was turned.

"Whatcha doing?" Theodore asked.

"Disposing of all of my old hair tonics," Simon explained to him. "The horseradish extract that I use as a hormonal stimulant has gone bad. There's no telling what could happen if it was used, now."

"I'm surprised you didn't make any money off of it," Alvin commented, tossing a vial in the air, casually, and catching it.

Simon glanced at his other brother. "It was made for scientific competition only, Alvin. If simple financial consideration motivated me, I have far more inventions I could patent for that."

His brother's greedy eyes grew shifty. "Like?"

"Like inventions _you'll_ never have access to," Simon warned.

"Mom always said sharing is caring, Simon."

"Mom hasn't heard about any of your get-rich-quick schemes, so I'll err on the side of caution," Simon easily countered.

Theodore ignored their typical sniping and picked just then to slide into a new, if related, topic. "Speaking of Mom. Isn't it great that she and Dave are getting along so well?"

"It _is_ nice, come to think of it," Simon agreed, successfully side-tracked. "There is an ordered peace that actually comes from a mother's presence. I like that she cares that we do our homework...even if she doesn't understand half of it."

Alvin gave a contented shrug, juggling three vials that he purloined from the box on the floor. "Yeah! It's kinda cool showing her stuff about the city and her showing us stuff about the woods, and we're both getting a kick out of it. I guess a boy's best friend _is_ his mother."

"All I know is that it's nice having her around. We help each other cook and test each other's meals," Theodore said, smiling wistfully. "She tells us stories about her time in the forest, and about our other Chipmunk relatives. Having two people care so much about us is the best feeling in the world, you guys. I wish they were married so we can stay like this, forever."

That gave Alvin a start before he caught the three vials. "Whoa, Theodore! You just said the _M_ word!"

Theodore covered his mouth, reflexively. "I did? I'm sorry! Wait...What did I say?"

"Married," Simon explained, and then he cautioned, feeling the weight of such a notion, himself. "I don't know if Mom would be amenable to that, let alone Dave. It's a pretty big step."

"But, they're getting along!" Theodore exclaimed, already fearing that his case would be argued away before it could ever be made. "They're learning so much about each other, now, aren't they?"

"Well, Dave's learning to get used to Mom's...ahem, unique style of cooking. I think we all are," Alvin admitted, chagrined at the memory of strange dinner nights under their mother's rustic talents.

"And Mom learned that she doesn't need shaving cream just because she saw Dave using it," Simon pointed out. "I don't know who in the neighborhood called Animal Control, but we had a heck of a time convincing them that she wasn't rabid."

"I'm serious, you guys! Don't you want this, too? Don't you want to have birthdays with Mom, or celebrate _her_ birthday, or Mother's Day, or _Christmas?_ Don't you want a father _and a mother_?" Theodore pressed, with a noticeable edge to his earnestness. "I know I do, and if I have to do it by myself, I'll figure out a way for us to be a family."

"Now, now, Theodore," Simon placated. "I can't deny that I, too, want the emotional and psychological stability that a nuclear family would bring, but what could we do? We can't *force them to see things our way."

That caused Alvin to smile, slyly. "Gentlemen, who said anything about force? We're kids, remember? We just need to..._finesse_ them into seeing things our way."

"You mean...play matchmaker?" Theodore asked, the inkling of what Alvin was proposing, dawning on him.

"Along with a charm offensive, if we play our cards right," Alvin added. "Besides, who's more charming than me?"

"E. coli?" Simon smoothly guessed.

"Ah, Simon, never change," Alvin chuckled the insult away. Then, he pondered pleasantly to his brothers. "Hmm...Vinny Seville. Mr. and Mrs. David Seville. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

* * *

"Allow us to serve dinner, you two," Theodore said to his parents as they approached the dining room.

Dave and Vinny took their customary seats opposite each other, that evening, wondering why their children were so insistent that they were served first.

The answer came in the form of two of the three brothers carrying a bowl of stew each and placing them, with a deferential flourish, before their parents. They, then returned to the kitchen to bring their own bowls out to the table.

Alvin dipped his face close to his meal and inhaled, theatrically. "Mmm...Doesn't this stew smell delicious, guys?"

Vinny looked down at her stew, quizzically, after taking a pleasing sniff. "It truly does, but is my stew suppose to have a heart with the letters D, X, and V in the middle?"

Dave cocked a dark eyebrow up in bemused suspicion upon inspection of his dish. "It's on mine, too, Vinny, but no, I don't think so. Apparently, the boys are trying to send a message. Right, fellas?"

"Huh?" Alvin demurred. "Oh, no! That's just the signature of the chef who invented the stew. Uh...Dimitri..."

"Xavier..." Simon interjected when Alvin seemed to fluster.

Theodore jumped in to complete the lie, blurting out, "Valentine's Day. Uh...I mean, _Valentine_! I've read his recipes before."

With a slight smile, Dave wondered sometimes why they thought that they could pull the wool over the one person who knew them the longest and best. "Uh-huh. Okay, let's dig in."

For a few minutes, the only sounds were that of satisfied consumption around the table, but then, Alvin took the time to offer something in way of conversation.

"Oh, Dave," he said. "We had the chance to call the restaurant that you reserved to have your date with Priscilla."

He glanced up to watch for his father's reaction. Dave looked up in thought to the tumultuous day with a fleeting look of disappointment, just as Alvin had hoped.

"Turns out you breaking it off with her was for the best," he continued. "Since the place was booked solid that week, anyway. Good thing you made a back-up reservation, just in case."

Dave glanced back at Alvin. "And why is this so important, Alvin?" Then, added under his breath, "As if I didn't know."

"Well...we just think that you should still use it," his son shrugged. "Since you have it and all. Be a shame to waste it."

Dave glanced over to Vinny, to see what her reaction to all of this dancing around the subject was. A small smile hooked along the corners of his lips. She had been listening, but she looked so bemusedly cute, trying to figure out what was happening around her, just as she would look whenever he would show her some newfangled device or way of doing things around city people.

Her nature, like her plain, simple beauty, was so infectious and calming to him that he found himself wanting to hoard it away for himself.

It was then that he caught himself staring at her...and noticed the rest of the family staring at _him_.

Standing with his bowl and bread, Dave said to them, "Excuse me, everyone. I...just remembered that I have some work to do in the studio. I'll just take my dinner with me."

"What it something I said?" Alvin asked.

* * *

Dave took another bite of broth-soaked bread by his computer workplace, while he chastised himself for being so open with his inner thoughts. It may have been awkward to display, or maybe it wasn't, but he didn't know how to guard against these fleeting feelings if they would make Vinny uncomfortable.

He fretted against time, for the more time he spent with her, the more comfortable those thoughts were becoming.

"Maybe I should just...ask her about it," he mused aloud, not noticing Vinny walking into the den.

"Ask who about what?" she asked.

"Oh!" the Human stammered. "I was, uh, just thinking aloud. Sorry about leaving dinner like that."

She smiled. "I just wanted to see if you were all right."

"Ran for the hills too soon, didn't I?"

"It looked that way," she admitted. "Anyway, I think I know what the little schemers are up to."

Dave's guilty look flashed into one of incredulity. _'Little schemers?'_ he thought. _'She knew what they were doing?'_

"You do, uh, did?"

Vinny caught his look and answered it with a knowing shrug. "I may be a country girl, Dave, but I wasn't born yesterday, and they may have a good idea."

His incredulity didn't leave him. "They...do?"

"Yes. You worked hard to try and court that terrible Priscilla, but there's no sense in you missing out on it because of what she did," she said, simply.

"What are you saying, Vinny?" He had to ask. He didn't dare presume.

Vinny glanced away to the floor, pink dawning in her cheeks. "I'm saying...that if you want to...still court someone...you could court...me...maybe?"

Dave didn't notice his eyes growing saucer-sized. "Are-are you saying that...you want to go on a date with me?"

Manners forced her to look back up at him, as she steeled her courage to do what her upbringing told her not to do in such situations. Be forward.

"I suppose I am. It has been a long time since I was courted, I mean...dated," she said, fighting her nerves. "I'm sure i-it will be just as fun as I remembered! What do you say?"

Dave didn't know what was more of a surprise to him, just then, the fact that he was just asked on a date, or the fact that it was _Vinny_ who asked him.

He was deeply relieved that his warming behavior was not seen as inappropriate to her, but the gauntlet to those feelings was now thrown, and he had to pick it up to see how it would go.

"Well, I wasn't sure I'd get back into dating so soon after Priscilla, but since it's you, it could be fun," he said, self-consciously scratching the back of his head and not feeling this awkward since his high school days. "Okay, let's give it a shot. How does two nights from tonight sound?"

The thought of time spent pleasantly with someone lifted Vinny's heart with expectant joy. It had been so long since she had felt that, and to have Dave be the reason for the joy made her want to walk on air.

"That sounds lovely," she accepted, not noticing, or perhaps not caring about, the smitten look growing in her eyes. But, then the practical side of her stepped in to ask, "Now, how does one date in the city?"

"Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out," Dave smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a soft knock on the boys' bedroom door the next afternoon, followed by Dave, tentatively, peeking his head through the doorway to address his sons.

"Hey, fellas."

"Hi, Dave," Theodore nodded to him. "Do you want us for something?"

Their father slipped fully into the room, looking grateful that he had the privacy for what came next. Giving his head a nervous scratch, he continued.

"I do, as a matter of fact," he said, now switching to a more formal tact for their benefit. "I'm...planning on...taking your mother out for dinner, and...I was...uh, wondering...do you know what Vinny might like in, y'know...a date?"

It took every ounce of muscular control and sheer willpower the boys had to not grin from ear to ear, or tease Dave, or playfully remind him to be a gentleman around their mother on their very first date that their parents were still having trouble be nonchalant about.

Alvin risked breaking his cool by speaking up first. "Well, other than the fact that she keeps calling it "courting," I don't know, but we might have some ideas." He punctuated the statement by giving his brothers a quick glance.

"Yes, we could make some educated guesses based on what we've learned from her, of late," Simon agreed. "For example, she had expressed an interest in stargazing."

"Plus," added Theodore. "She said that she really loves fresh-cut flowers."

"Really?" Dave muttered, pulling out a small notepad from his pocket to jot this crucial information down. "What else does she like?"

"Swimming," said Alvin.

"Hiking," Simon added.

"That's good to know, fellas," Dave considered. "But, I don't think we'll be doing all of that. At least, on a first date."

"Well, that's good," Alvin said, off-hand. "It'll give you more time to finish reading that article on the computer downstairs about dating tips to..._steal a country girl's heart_, was it?"

Whatever composure Dave had, buckled, just then.

"W-What are you talking about, Alvin?" he chuckled, uncomfortably. "What article?"

Simon raised a placating hand to him. "We've all seen the article when you left the den, for a moment, Dave. Don't worry. We understand."

"Yeah! It's not like we *wanted* to invade your privacy or anything," Theodore chimed in. "We just want you to have the best time in the world with Mom."

"Thanks, guys," Dave said, relievedly, as he turned to leave them. "Well, wish me luck."

"Hey, you're our dad, Dave. You won't need luck," Alvin said, giving him a casual, finger-gun salute as he left.

"That was nice of you to say, Alvin," Theodore said.

"Indeed," Simon added. "Quite surprising."

Alvin scoffed. "I thought you knew Dave. He's gonna need all the help he can get."

Before his brothers could comment on Alvin's brutally correct assessment of Dave's love life, there came another soft knock on the door, quieter and lower to the floor.

"Yes?" Simon called out.

This time, it was Vinny who gingerly opened the door and slipped in with a nervous smile on her face.

"Uh, boys?" she asked, holding her hands with fiddling fingers. "I was wondering, uh...since you know Dave so well, you...wouldn't happen to know what he, uh...likes in, er...a date?"

With a smirk and a mutual glance, the brothers saw that their plan was coming along beautifully.

* * *

Dave stepped out of his bedroom, dressed in a casual ensemble with a matching necktie and a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. He headed towards the guest room next door to see if Vinny was ready, when he spotted Alvin standing by his bedroom doorway, like a loiterer waiting for a convenient mark.

"Looking good, Dave," Alvin complimented, while he waved him over.

"Thanks, Alvin. Did you want anything? I was going to see if Vinny was ready."

"No problem," his son drawled. "I just wanted to give you some last-minute advice before you got started. First off, you're the best part of the date, so let the girl wait for you."

Dave shook his head in mild exasperation. "Alvin, you can't, I mean, _I_ can't do that to her."

Alvin shrugged. "Why not? That's what _she's_ thinking!"

"C'mon, Alvin!"

"Okay, okay, _be_ old-fashioned," his son dismissed, reaching into the pocket of his sweater. "Just take this." He handed Dave a small vial.

"What's this?" Dave asked.

"Remember when Simon made that hair tonic that gave you that mile-long pompadour?"

"Do I?" Dave gave a wistful smile at the happy results. The looks, the admiration...the female attention.

"Then, drink up! I forget what Simon was going to do with them, but I managed to snag this one from him. Our little secret."

Dave wasted no time in quaffing the concoction, thoughts of wowing Vinny with his newly impressive coif dancing in his head. Then, the taste hit him.

Dave grimaced. "Yuck! What happened? It tastes terrible!"

"It's probably just extra-strength, or something," Alvin dismissed. "Now, go and knock her dead!"

"Thanks!" said Dave, turning back to the guest room.

He gave the door a gentle rap, wondering what Vinny would look like, and not feeling this nervous since his first prom.

The doorknob turned, the door opened, and Dave beheld a Vinny he had never seen before.

"Wow! You look...Wow..." was all Dave could manage to say.

The Chipmunk stood with a self-conscious smile, but her beauty was framed in the doorway like a portrait. Her brown hair was a crown of artistic curls, topping an enticing body that was draped in a lovely blue evening dress and matching shoes.

"You...really like it?" asked a blushing Vinny, giving the dress a self-conscious pose. "The Chipettes told me that this was what one wears when courting, I mean, uh, dating in the city."

Dave was stunned into near-silence as Vinny had a chance to pleasantly appraise her date: virile, tall, handsome, and..._flowery_?

She noticed the scent of the bouquet he held in his off-hand, and he noticed that she had noticed, and so quickly brought them forth with a nervous chuckle.

Vinny took them and gave them a deep inhale. "Oh, thank you, Dave! It was so thoughtful to give me an appetizer before dinner."

Dave looked a little dismayed to watch his date devouring the flowers he gave her, but it gave way to an understanding chuckle. This was just another side of Vinny that she was comfortable showing him.

Alvin stood by the front door after his parents left, savoring the feeling of having the home to himself, despite knowing that his brothers were there, as well.

"Judging by the self-satisfied grin on your face," Simon commented upon walking towards him. "You plan on throwing some last-minute party, now that Mom and Dad, uh, I mean, Dave are gone."

"You _would_ think that, but I think I'll just enjoy the peace that comes with a good deed well-done," Alvin countered, smoothly.

That threw Simon for a moment. "_Good deed?_ What did you do, Alvin?"

"Mistrust doesn't become you, Simon. I simply wanted to help Dave make a good impression with Mom, so I gave him some of your hair tonic. Don't worry. I gave you some credit, too."

Simon gave a gasp that was part shock and part exasperation. "Alvin, that tonic's expired! That's why I was throwing it out!"

"Oh, yeah," Alvin said, then added, a little nervously, "Now, I remember. Well, what'll happen if he...takes it?"

"Who knows with that bad batch," Simon said over his shoulder, as he headed towards the basement. "I'll have to work on an antidote."

"Uh...okay," said Alvin, suddenly reminded of a saying concerning good deeds and the punishment of said deeds.

* * *

The quiet, intimate atmosphere, and perhaps the half-empty bottle of Riesling, softly stripped away their mutual anxieties of the evening, as Dave and Vinny shared a common insight on life and lightly laughed over the remains of her dandelion salad and his Coc Au Vin Rouge with French Fries on the side.

"I heard from a little birdie that you like to look at the stars," Dave intimated. The smile and interested gleam in her green eyes was all the impetus he needed. "I thought that we could do that while we went for a walk in the park, after dinner."

"I'd love that," she demurred. "It's a nice night for it."

"I agree. Plus, it'll clear our heads from the wine," Dave joked, eliciting another soft giggle from Vinny. It was a chain reaction that made his heart swell. He couldn't help beginning to see her not as just a friend who was connected by their children, but a singular woman who was caring, full of common sense, hard-working, yes, to him, attractive, and someone he was starting to have growing feelings for.

"Oh, I know what a gentleman you are," Vinny joked back, softly. "I'm not worried."

Another chuckle was shared, Dave, then, paid the bill, and they left, soon after.

"May I?" Dave asked Vinny, holding out his hand while they walked the lit path of the otherwise dark park.

The gesture was not lost on her. The desire of holding hands was such a simple yet intimate bond to make, right now. A touch to communicate between them how they were feeling without clumsy, foolish words getting in the way.

With a smile, and without those words, Vinny raised her hand to receive his.

Trying to hide the blush of her rising emotion, she lifted her head to see the stars flashing in between the gaps of the dark foliage of the trees they walked under.

She suddenly anchored Dave from walking further, as she pointed as particular asterism above them for him to notice.

"Oh, look, Dave. That there is Andromeda, a princess who was rescued by the hero, Perseus, from a monster," she sighed. "What a love story."

Dave looked past the foliage to the tapestry of space, vaguely remembering the Greek tale, but being more mindful of Vinny's discovery. Perhaps the very stars would dictate how this date would go.

"Maybe we'll see Perseus tonight, too. A princess shouldn't be alone without her hero," Dave said, without thinking. Then, he remembered what he blurted out and reddened with self-chastisement.

But, Vinny wasn't taken aback by the comment. In fact, she was inspired by it, signaling it by holding his hand a little firmer and sidling up to him.

"Dave, I had no idea that you were so romantic," she cooed. "We should walk like this more often."

She could feel Dave tremble through his hand, as he stammered. His nerves were showing again and she couldn't help but smile at that. He, trying to be a gentleman, and yet, fumbling through his emotions for her was so endearing that she couldn't help her own deepening emotions for him.

"You know, Dave," Vinny placated, though her own nerves were beginning to show. "You don't have to feel nervous around me. I...think I know how you feel, and...I think...I feel it, too."

The trembling intensified and Vinny glanced at the hand that held hers, preparing to ask what was the matter, when the matter answered itself for her.

Dark patches of hair began to carpet the back of his hand and more flowed from his scalp in a long, black, unkempt, mullet-like length which crowned a face that was familiar to her, but now, was twisted into a feral, Human mask of discomfort.

"D-Dave?" she asked, as much anchored by her indecision to either bolt into the safety of the trees, or stay and comfort him, as she was torn by it.

He released her hand and hunched into a posture that afforded him better movement in quick, reactive bursts, basic hormonal behavior overtaking him, as his confused mind clouded over.

Incredulity and dread curiosity seized Vinny. Her people, too, had long learned of and feared the legends of bestial shape-shifters of the night, the lycanthrope, the werewolf, and she couldn't believe that the legend took shape before her in the form of the man that she thought that she knew.

Her own animal senses were awash with Dave's new and sudden presence, the aura of unbridled strength, both physical and masculine, that was freed from the constraints of civility, and heralded by a pheromonal air that almost stripped those same constraints from her.

But, instead of pouncing on her and, perhaps, making the kill, Dave cocked his head into the nightly breeze and breathed, catching an elusive scent, nearby.

In an instant, he bolted from Vinny, rushing to wherever the scent guided him, with Vinny in concerned, and possibly foolish, pursuit of him.

His tracking led them both out of the deeper copses of trees and back towards one of the park's better-lit thoroughfares, where he suddenly bore on a group of shrubs in the distance.

In a bound, he landed in front of the shrubbery with a growl, and with a shriek, a woman obscured in shadows, flew from her hiding place and towards one of the park's exits, as if she were a flushed-out game hen.

If Dave contemplated chasing his quarry down, it was interrupted by the sound of Vinny approaching him.

From his low posture, she put out a hand and gently held his strong arm to get his attention, and when she had gotten it, spoke in a tone that wanted to calm him, but couldn't hide the slight fear.

"Dave, are you all right? I'll stay with you. I-I won't let anyone hurt you. Just stay calm," she tried to soothe.

Dave cocked his head to her, curious as to who she was, until scent, again, guided him. Her scent.

He surprised Vinny with his sudden, curious nuzzling at her, but otherwise, he seemed sedate. Her smell was familiar to him, raising his awareness of her by miles. He couldn't remember specifics, just yet, but everything in her fragrance, not hidden by perfume, told him that she was not a threat, that she was good...safe...

Mateable...

With a lusty grunt, Dave twisted at Vinny and scooped her up in his arms, hung her over his shoulder in a hasty Fireman's Carry, and bolted back into the woods, the worried Chipmunk calling out to him to come back to his senses.

"David! David! _Daviiiid_!"

* * *

The ducks and other sleeping waterfowl occupied the banks of the nearby pond, near the center of the park's property. Like a dark and silent mirror, it spread under the canopy of stars, creating a perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous for lovers of all stripes.

This night, the setting was added the sounds of a man crashing through the surrounding landscaping carrying a now annoyed rodent woman on his shoulders.

"David, put me down! I'm quite capable of walking on my own!" Vinny clucked at him, practically forgetting her initial fear of his strange condition.

As if he had finally heard her, Dave bounded towards the pond and came to a galumphing stop by the water's edge, letting her down by having her slide off of him, exhausted.

Vinny laid on her back, breathing hard and staring up into the night sky, while Dave snuffed at her, again. She turned her head to him, too tired to do anything but talk.

"What happened to you, Dave?" she asked. "We have to figure out a way to get you back to normal." Then, a distressing thought hit her. "Do...the boys know about this?"

Dave gave a grunt, and then, he straightened up from his attentions to Vinny, his face looking stricken and panicked, as he glanced around, urgently.

Vinny noticed his agitation and sat up to look around and sniff the air, herself. If something had Dave spooked, it would do well for her to be ready to react, as well.

"What's wrong? Do you smell something? Dave!"

Dave launched from his anxious crouch and tore in the direction of a group of bushes that made up part of the pond's landscaping. Vinny thought he had found a place to hide and was about to follow, when the immediate bellow of a deep retching came from where Dave had dived.

"Dave?" she called out, only to be answered by more retching.

After a few, tense minutes, it was over. The near-silence of frogs croaking and crickets chirping lay over the pond, again, as Vinny held still and wondered what would happen next.

The familiar sound of David Seville's voice groaned behind the bushes, as he stepped over them and staggered towards Vinny. His hair was still ratty, as were his clothes, but it was back to its erstwhile length, the rest having fallen out during his episode of vomiting up his Coc Au Vin Rouge, French Fries, and expired, experimental hair tonic.

He sat down beside Vinny with a thud, his clearing mind thinking of what choice words to lavish upon Alvin when he saw him, again. But then, exhaustion took him, as well, and he laid back with a flop on the pond's bank.

Vinny sidled next to him, a small hand on his arm. "Dave, are you all right?"

"Vinny...what happened? I-I could see what I was doing, but I couldn't stop myself," he confessed, then he summoned the strength to turn on his side to face her and ask, "Are you all right. You're not hurt, are you?"

She turned and gave a wan smile. "Oh, no. You gave me a rough ride, but I'm all right. What happened to you, though?"

"Alvin," he growled. "He gave me some hair tonic to take for our date that obviously didn't agree with me."

Vinny gave a chuckle to the misadventure, grateful that it ended better than it could have. "Oh, don't be upset with Alvin, Dave. I'm sure that he was just trying to help, that's all."

A quiet harrumph from him was his only rebuttal, as he rested on his back, once more.

The serenity of the night calmed him as he took it in. The peace of nature being shared quietly with Vinny was a better coda to the evening than anything he planned.

Despite not wanting to, he thought of Alvin again, but this time, with a sense of despondency, and a need to get something off of his chest. He could think of no one else to share such a burden with than the lovely Chipmunk beside him.

"You know," he began, wearily and without preamble. "Alvin made fun of me for graying a few years back, and that had me thinking. I'm not getting any younger. I kept dating, thinking that this time she'll be the one, but I don't know, anymore."

Vinny just watched him in his repose and wondered what he meant by this admission. Confused, she asked, "You didn't have a good time tonight, Dave?"

The question caught Dave off-guard, confusing him, in turn. "No! Not at all! I had a wonderful time with you, Vinny! Even though I turned into Lon Chaney, I wouldn't have changed a thing," he clarified. "I just don't want to be lonely all of my life, that's all. I just want to find someone who really knows me, someone I can be comfortable with, you know? Share interests with, really like the boys..."

As if on cue, a small frog hopped in between them and Vinny took the hint.

"And love you...warts and all?" She said, reaching over and gently holding his hand. "I know what you mean, Dave...all too well."

Both unsure, but swayed by their sudden emotions, in the stillness of the pond, they leaned closer and closer.

Then, Vinny recoiled from him with a squeak.

"Ugh!" She called out, covering her sensitive nose.

Dave stiffened in alarm. "What wrong? Am I changing, again?"

"No!" Vinny groaned. "Your breath!"

Embarrassed, he suddenly remembered what he did in the bushes nearby, and sat up to avoid breathing more into her direction.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I...guess I should've brought some gum with me," he sighed. "We ought to call it a night, then. Would you like me to take you home?"

Vinny gave a nod as she stood, now eye-to-eye with him. "Yes, we...better head back," she agreed, perhaps reluctantly.

Then, with a flirty smile to break the awkwardness, she added, "I'll say one thing, City Boy, you certainly know how to show me an interesting time."

She punctuated the sentiment with an unexpected kiss on his cheek. Dave awkwardly chuckled at the compliment.

"It was my pleasure, Country Girl."


	3. Chapter 3

Vinny walked through the daily bustle of the campus of Maurer-Vitz College, a local university in town, the next day. In her hand, she held a thick, dog-eared, coffee-stained stack of papers held together with paper clips and the dreams of its authoress, whom Vinny was seeking.

The Chipmunk took another look at the upper corner of the cover page, regarded Savannah's name, the name of her dormitory next to a series of three strange symbols Vinny hadn't seen before, and its address. Looking back up, she took her bearings on the small, bucolic street she found herself on.

Standing amidst the small crowds of passing residents on the block was a nearby building whose facade proudly displayed the large Greek letters Vinny saw on the page. Satisfied, she approached.

Just a few yards from the place she could hear a conversation, drawing her attention to Savannah, herself, chatting with another dark Human, a male teenager only a year or two her senior. The smile on the male's face and Vinny's own sense of propriety forced her to slow her approach, lest she interrupted their obvious flirting.

Her ears told her a different story.

The boy casually began to sidle up into Savannah's personal space, his smooth patter, continuing.

"Well, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming back to my place and helping me with my biology homework, if you know what I mean," he said.

Instead of a coy look or tone of voice, however, Savannah's presence turned decidedly more cool, as her arms, self-consciously, stayed close to her body, and she favored him a disappointed glare.

"Yeah, I know what you mean, Frankie," she muttered. "I called you the other day and you said you were free, but you stood me up, and now, you want me to just drop whatever and go with you, now? I'm tired of you stringing me along like a yo-yo. You, obviously, don't respect me."

His laughter was not the reaction the young woman was expecting.

"Where is all of this coming from, Savannah? You're not looking for some kind of gentleman, are you? Nah, that's not me, and girls don't care about that stuff, anyway. They're going for theirs, and I'm going for mine."

"Well, I'm not "yours," Frankie," Savannah huffed. "I could have been. I could have let you, but you never saw me the same way I used to see you."

"_Used to?_ Are you telling me that you don't want any of this?" Frankie asked, pompously presenting himself before her with his hands.

"I used to."

"There're those words, again," he chuckled, coolly. "I thought we had a good thing going here."

"I thought so, too. Maybe you better go." The defeat and self-chastisement in her voice made the request final.

"Are you sure about this?" Frankie cajoled, his hand resting on her shoulder, enticingly. He could see the battle between her dignity and her hormones raging in her eyes and was more than confident that flesh would trump her common sense, yet again.

"Excuse me," came a squeak from the closing distance. "I believe the young lady said that she didn't want to see you, now. If you were a gentleman, young man, you would respect her wishes."

His spell broken, Frankie and Savannah watched Vinny arrive. The Chipmunk stopped before Savannah and handed her the papers.

In the midst of the awkward scene, the young woman brightened. "My manuscript! Did I forget it when I came by your house?"

"I'm afraid so, dear, but it's all here. I even had a chance to read it, beforehand," Vinny replied, but before a diplomatically-worded assessment could be given, a frustrated Frankie interrupted them.

"Who are you, lady?" he asked, brusquely. "Me and my girl were having a conversation, so if you don't mind going about your business."

Vinny looked up with cool, stern eyes. "Savannah is a friend of mine, and therefore, very much my business, young man. And as a friend, I wouldn't want to see her hurt."

"You should close your eyes, then," he joked, before returning his attention to Savannah and her returning, dour indecisiveness. "C'mon, babe. You coming, or not?"

Vinny backed away from them, but only to give herself more room to press her point home to Frankie, and hopefully, Savannah.

(Vinny backed-up by agreeing couples passing by)

_She may be lost _

_She may be out of bounds _

_All her tenderness and charms could be something _

_A man like you has never found_

_But, in her woman's way _

_She's still a little girl _

_The things that she wants, the things that she needs _

_Oh, well the choice is hers_

_(Chorus)_  
_'Cause you can't take a woman _

_When she doesn't want you _

_And you can't be a man _

_If you're blind to reason_

_Man might be strong _

_But true love is stronger _

_You gotta play it straight _

_When a woman doesn't want you_

_Her voice invites _

_Her eyes say more than words _

_But, her needs and complications _

_Can tear away the memory of last night's girl_

_And if you're weak _

_Yeah, we're all weak sometime _

_The best things can wait _

_The best times they come _

_Oh, when strength is kind_

_(Chorus)_  
_'Cause you can't take a woman _

_When she doesn't want you _

_And you can't be a man _

_If you're blind to reason_

_Man might be strong _

_But true love is stronger _

_You gotta play it straight _

_When a woman doesn't want you_

_And if you can't read her _

_Leave her alone _

_And if you don't know by now _

_She's not someone's prize _

_And you can't take her home!_

_(Chorus)_  
_'Cause you can't take a woman _

_When she doesn't want you _

_And you can't be a man _

_If you're blind to reason_

_Man might be strong _

_But true love is stronger _

_You gotta play it straight _

_You gotta play it straight _

_You gotta play it straight _

_When a woman doesn't want you..._

Vinny looked into the eyes of the wayward couple, hoping that her message had gotten through. To her growing relief, Savannah's cloud of indecision dissipated from her, a renewed sense of self-confidence beginning to radiate.

But, the opposite could be seen from Frankie. A simmering frustration at being thwarted from what he wanted, at least, for right now, and a growing comprehension about who this interloping rodent was, in the grand scheme of things.

"You!" he exclaimed. "Have she been talking to you about me? Have you turned her against me with that gentleman crap, you yokel?" He then turned to Savannah, an ultimatum at the ready.

"Listen, I thought you were okay when I met you," he admitted, dismissively. "But, if you're going to waste your time listening to her, and not roll with me, then it's over, because no one's gonna want to deal with a dud like you."

Savannah's eyes were sad, yet her voice came as steel, when she said, finally, "Sorry I wasted your time, then."

While he stomped away, Savannah knelt down to see Vinny, eye-to-awakening eye.

"Thank you for helping me out, Miss Vinny."

Vinny waved it away. "Think nothing of it, Savannah. As I said, you're a friend, and please, just call me Vinny."

The Human smiled at that, and then added, "Oh, yeah, about my manuscript. You don't have to tell me how you felt about it. I know that it's crap. It's going in the trash."

Vinny cocked up an eyebrow in concern. "Are you sure that's what you want to do, dear? You shouldn't give up on your dream just on my account."

Savannah gave a belly laugh that lightened her mood considerably. "I'm not going to stop being a writer. I just realized that you were right about how I went about romance, that's all. I can throw that draft away because it was just bad writing and it wasn't true to me, anymore."

Vinny stood more at ease upon hearing that, but then, she heard something from her friend that made her perk up, again.

"Plus, I've got something to confess," Savannah added, sheepishly. "I was...spying on you and that werewolf you were dating. But hey, if you like werewolves, that's your thing. I don't judge!"

"Werewolf?" Vinny was taken aback for a moment, and then, she remembered with a chuckle. "Oh, you mean _Dave_! He's no werewolf, he just drank something that...uh, disagreed with him. Besides, I figured it was you."

"How come?"

Vinny sniffed the air, lightly. "You're still wearing the same perfume we smelled by the bushes, last night."

"Oh, yeah. Keen sense of smell. I forgot about that," the Human recalled. "Anyway, I'm sorry about all of that, but since you were selling me on what a good romance is and what a gentleman should do for his lady, I wanted to get some ideas on it."

"Did you?" Vinny asked.

"Well, I didn't know that you were sweet on Mr. Seville, and seeing the two of you did make me realize that what I had with Frankie wasn't right for me, and we're the same species! There was no respect or affection, so I had to break it off."

"I saw and I'm so proud of you," Vinny beamed. "You know, that's the funny thing about love. The older one gets, the less time they feel that they have to find that special someone, but you're young, and you have all the time in the world."

"Yeah. I guess you're right, Vinny." Savannah smirked. "There's no school like old school, huh?"

Vinny began looking around at the campus, a bit confused by the nonsequitur. "Well, I suppose this *is a very old school, but, I won't keep you." Then, she said, more directly. "But, if you ever want to talk, just girl-to-girl, or just read me one of your stories, or just be a friend, I'll be there for you."

Savannah's smile broadened, as she embraced her friend in gratitude. "Thanks, Vinny. You know, you'd make one heck of a housemother!"

"Oh, I'm already that, dear," Vinny chuckled, thinking of her own family, while hugging her back. "But, I suppose a mother can't have too many houses, now, can she?"

Song Credits: "When A Woman Doesn't Want You" by Elton John/Bernie Taupin

c) 1992 Big Pig Music Limited


End file.
